Lecturers at sixth form colleges plan to continue to go on strike over a pay dispute.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) will take industrial action on January 29, and February 6 and 7.

This includes staff at Itchen College in Southampton, and Peter Symonds College in Winchester.

They are striking over what they say is the Government's failure to resolve a pay discrepancy in sixth form colleges.

Hundreds of teachers in the south east will join 2,000 NEU members in a nationwide strike at 32 sixth form colleges.

At all sites, picket lines will be formed from 8am to 9am on the specified dates.

After the pickets on January 29, members will gather for a rally from 1pm to 2.30pm at Old Palace Yard, London.

The NEU says that the strike action has been prompted by the exclusion of sixth form teachers from the Government’s guaranteed funding for the 5.5 per cent teacher pay award from September 1, 2024.

Despite concessions following eight days of strike action, the Government and Sixth Form College Association have only agreed to restore pay parity between school and sixth form teachers from April 2025, refusing to backdate this to September 1, 2024.

This results in a "two-tier pay system," which the NEU finds unacceptable.

Nick Childs, senior regional officer for the south east region of the NEU, said: "The exceptionally strong turnout for the strike action in November, December, and January to date should have been a wake-up call to Government that our members will not back down on this issue.

"It is unfair that teachers in sixth form colleges are not being guaranteed the government funding for a comparable pay award to the 5.5 per cent pay deal from September 1 seen elsewhere in academised sixth form colleges and maintained schools.

"Sixth form teachers do the same job with the same commitment and the same importance.

"We will never accept a two-tier workforce and our members must have the same pay.

"The responsibility for these strikes lies with Government, not teachers.

"No teacher wants to be taking strike action.

"They want to be in classrooms doing what they do best: teaching.

"We remain as always willing to resolve this dispute with Government.

"However, in the face of yet more silence, our members will continue with their action."